A Very Merdery Christmas
by Serene Cullen
Summary: Meredith and Derek decide to have a private family Christmas until unexpected visitors show up. MERRY CHRISTMAS! AU i guess...Also flames unwelcome, don't like don't read.


**AN: Welcome to day one of the Christmas countdown. Meredith & Derek!**

A Very Merdery Christmas

"This is nice," Meredith smiles at Derek while seated on the floor of their large master bedroom.

"This is stressful," Derek corrects.

"No it isn't," she laughed.

"Meredith we waited until Christmas eve to wrap all the presents, we have two twin boys and Zola waiting eagerly for Santa to come and Santa might not have his presents wrapped in time."

"Santa's presents will be wrapped in time," Meredith insisted staring at the present she just finished. "Does this look ok?"

"Santa's presents will never be finished if Mrs. Claus can't wrap too," he quickly unwrapped her present and started over.

"Mrs. Claus will do ribbon," she glared playfully. She took silver and blue ribbon to the paper it would match, red and gold ribbon to Santa's presents, and white and green ribbon to the presents the children gave each other. Meredith smiled proud that Santa's presents had their own wrapping paper.

"Mrs. Claus is very good at ribbon," Derek observed as he quickly finished wrapping. "How did Mrs. Claus wrap Santa's presents?"

"Santa got gift bags," Meredith said blushing. Derek laughed hardily while staring adoringly at her.

"Shush," Meredith insisted silencing him with her lips. "Don't wake the babies," she warned.

"Mama," a small young voice was heard just outside the door.

"Presents in the closet, you in the bed, hurry," Meredith insisted pushing Derek around. "Bradley," she picked up her four year old. "What are you doing up, you know Santa can't come unless your fast asleep," she kissed her son's cheek.

"I thought I heard someone laugh," he wipes his eyes sleepily.

"You did?" Meredith gasped. "Are you sure?" she looked around the house and then back at her son. He nodded. "Oh Bradley I didn't hear that at all, do you know what that means?" He shook his head. "It must have been Santa! Mommies and Daddies can't hear Santa but little babies can."

"Santa?" he stopped wiping his eyes suddenly.

"Oh lets go look Bradley!" she hurried him downstairs towards the fireplace.

"Mommy there's no presents," he pouted.

"Oh but look," she pointed to the cookie plate. "It's empty, and look at this," she walked to the fireplace. "We must have startled Santa he hurried back up the chimney so quick he tore his coat," she held out the piece of fabric she and Derek had planted.

"Oh wow," Bradley took it gently in his hands and looked at it amazed. "Mommy I have to go back to bed!" he said suddenly alarmed. "What if Santa forgets to come back?"

"Alright lets get you straight to bed," Meredith headed back up the stairs grateful Derek and she had decided to eat all the cookies before wrapping the presents.

"Mommy," Bradley said as they were passing her room.

"Yes?"

"What if daddy laughed and Santa left coal?"

"Oh honey look," she cracked the door open and Derek was laying down just as she asked. "Daddy's fast asleep, it was defiantly Santa, but we need to get you back to bed so he comes back."

"Ok mommy," he hugged her neck and she kissed his cheek as she laid him down in his toy car bed across the room from his brother Jordan.

"Goodnight," she whispered and kissed his forehead.

"Goodnight mommy."

Meredith sighed with relief and went back into her room.

"We in trouble?" Derek asked.

"Nope we just scared Santa away is all, now we're back in bed so he can come back with presents."

"Look at you," Derek pulled her down onto his lap. "You went from dark and twisty to making up Santa stories."

"I know I'm all bright and shiny now with you," she kissed him. "Come on we need to put the presents downstairs before we keep on kissing like this."

"Oh alright," Derek huffed and got up with her. They both carried armfuls of presents down the stairs and planted them mixed among the tree. Derek even stuffed the stockings and the two looked away taking playful peaks as they stuffed one another's stockings.

"Back to bed?" Derek asked looking at the clock, 2: 42.

"I think we have just enough time to sleep before they wake us up," Meredith smiled.

"Sleep? Since when has Meredith Grey ever wanted to sleep?"

"Since Derek Shepard can't open the little red box in the closet until tomorrow morning, and definitely not in front of the kids."

"Oh devil, devil woman," he teased as she sprang up the stairs in front of him laughing.

#

"Mommy," Meredith felt a little hand poke her shoulder, nose, neck. She opened her eyes slowly and saw three sets of eyes staring up at her.

"Did Santa come?" Bradley asked.

Meredith yawned and stretched sitting up in bed. "Derek," she nudged her husband. He startled a bit and looked around.

"It's six twenty in the morning," he groans.

"Santa came," Meredith says. "Brush your teeth and then we'll go see what Santa brought you guys." The three children cheered in excitement and ran off to the bathroom.

"Come on," she tapped Derek's ass playfully. "Brush teeth and get hot chocolate. It's Christmas morning."

"You told everyone it's a family Christmas right?" Derek asked, his arm still over his eyes.

"Yes no aunties and uncles this Christmas, I told them we'd get together later for the kids." She leaned down and kissed Derek and he smiled begrudgingly getting up. The two brushed their teeth together and then went downstairs. They both worked on quickly making hot chocolate for themselves and the children. Zola likes only whipped cream and the beverage; Jordan liked only marshmallows, and Bradley liked whipped cream and cinnamon. Both adults likes marshmallows and whipped cream.

"Santa came!" all the children clamored down the stairs and the loving parents smiled as the children dived into the presents. Derek sat on the couch with Meredith tucked under his arms watching as they ripped apart packages. Every once in awhile the children would take a short break from opening presents to sip their hot chocolate. Meredith sucked happily on a candy cane Derek had given her knowing her guilty pleasure as the kids played around the large living room with their new toys. She smiled to see Bradley still clutching the fragment of clothing Santa left.

Meredith and Derek were just sitting down to eat a healthy lunch with the kids when the doorbell rang. Derek sent her a knowing look and Meredith held her hands up. "I told them not to come," she said standing.

"I wanna see," the children all clamored around as Meredith went to open the door. She opened it and pulled on her best fake smile as Derek's family chorused their hellos and smiled at the children.

"Who is it?" Derek yelled from the kitchen.

"Well I'm definitely not the culprit," Meredith assured.

"Oh Meredith unclench," Nancy said staring the same intimidating way that Meredith remembered from their first meeting. Derek walked out startled.

"Look it's my favorite ladies," he walked past his own family and hugged his sisters who stood on the porch step.

"Mother's in the car," Amy said.

"Why is mom in the car?" Derek asked looking towards the car where she sat, eyes glued forward.

"She thinks Meredith is going to kick us out," Nancy said.

"That's not what mom said," Amy rebutted.

"Mom said since we didn't call in advance you both have every right to kick us out," Liz said.

"Plus Nancy lied and told mom we did call ahead," Kathleen said.

"It's fine guys," Derek said. "Come on in," he opened the door.

"Your kids haven't even said hi to us," Liz pouted.

"Well they don't know you, besides they're all quiet attached to Meredith." Derek defended as each child was holding onto Meredith in a different spot.

"Go on kids it's ok," Meredith encouraged. "I'll go get your mom Derek."

"Alright," he nodded watching her walk outside.

"Grab the presents too while your out there," Nancy shot over her shoulder scooping up a rather scared Jordan.

Meredith rolled her eyes and tapped gently on the window of the passenger side. Carolyn rolled the window down and looked apologetically at Meredith.

"They said they asked," she said.

"I know they did, we do things like that, women, we do. They just want you to see your grandkids. I should be more inviting but I feel bad asking you all to come all this way. It's my fault really, but don't worry, come on in."

Carolyn smiled at Meredith and stepped from the car.

"I have to grab the presents," Meredith looked in the back of the car.

"Oh I don't have control over them much but I can get them out here to carry their own things."

"That's ok I don't mind," she smiled and started piling boxes on boxes then carried them in with minimal help from Carolyn.

"Here," Derek meets her on the porch and takes several from her.

"Thanks," she mumbled looking inside. "They're a bit standoffish and we don't have nearly enough food for them all."

"The kids will get used to them, and I called Mark to grab some and come over."

"So you get more people but not me," she said playfully.

"Go and call," he pushed her into the kitchen and she quickly dialed without needing much prodding.

Cristina arrived before Mark did and she brought Owen, Callie, and Arizona in toe with her.

"Merry Christmas!" Callie called walking inside with presents for the kids.

"Oh thank you," Meredith helped relief her of her armful. "We have one for Sophia but it's upstairs and not wrapped.

"Thanks ok," Arizona jumped in. "She almost chocked on our wrapping paper this morning so we had to unwrap all of hers for her. You can just bring it down she'll like it more anyway." Meredith and Cristina went upstairs together.

"They just showed up?" Cristina asked.

"I know it's terrifying, I wasn't ready at all. Here I am just trying to enjoy Christmas with my husband and kids but then they just show up. No call or anything. I really like Carolyn though and Amy and Liz are pretty nice. Nancy still hates me naturally and Kathleen seems closer to Nancy than the other two."

"Well merry Christmas," Cristina shook her head.

"Well I'm just going to make the best of it," Meredith shook her head grabbing Sophia's karaoke machine from the closet.

The two women came back down the stairs to see Alex and Jo in the living room now as well.

"Alex!" Meredith called smiling.

"Hey Mer," he nodded his head.

"Uncle Alex!" Zola cried and ran up to him. Alex smiled and lifted the girl into his arms. Meredith looked around and noted with mixed feelings that Jordan and Bradley were playing with Owen and Jo and the sister's were sitting on the couch.

"Here you are," Meredith handed Callie the box and Callie began gushing about how perfect it was.

Mark and Lexie appeared with food soon after. Meredith had invited April as well but had gotten a voicemail. When Jackson arrived he told her that April and Matthew were back visiting April's family.

"Come here," Meredith gathered her children privately. "You need to go talk with the ladies who came this morning," she said gently.

"But why?" Zola asked.

"Ya that one was really mean to you and she's scary." Jordan whined.

"Those people are daddy's sisters, it would make daddy really happy if you went and talked with them ok?" The kids looked among each other still obviously unsure. "Ok what if Zola had a dog and you wanted to play with it Jordan. But the dog didn't like you. How would that make you feel?"

"Sad," he said.

"Right and what do you think Zola would feel?"

"I think she'd get that feeling when two friends don't have a lunch and you only have one sandwich," Bradley spoke up.

"Ya Zola wouldn't like it either. Well Jordan you're the sisters, and Daddy is Zola and the puppy is you guys. Daddy's sisters really want to play with you guys so please try ok?"

They all nodded and Meredith walked back downstairs with them. Once they were downstairs the kids ran over and started playing with the sisters, only Nancy looked up at her, Meredith thought she was almost going to say something, but then she changed her mind and looked back down at Zola. Meredith smiled anyways.

"What did you do?" Derek asked coming up behind her.

"I told them to play nice," she hugged his arms.

"Thank you," he kissed her cheek. "It's not the quiet Christmas we planned, but I think we did a good job anyways." She nodded smiling and he put his lips right by her ear and whispered, "And don't dare think I've forgotten about that box."


End file.
